FL 120 2K24 Pt 1 of 2 . . . .

[Charles Brennan]

On every carefully planned sailing excursion, Mother Nature always gets a vote.
Especially, Weather. 
Was taking my 20 yr old Grandson with me to this year's Florida 120 and was concerned about the somewhat iffy weather.
So was Scott Widmier who does an excellent job of organizing this event.  He even formulated a Plan B, whereby we hung out at Fort Mc Ree and maybe took a sojourn to Big Lagoon in case some expected storms from the west, materialized.

Started out, normally enough.
Tires running 20ºF above the ambient temperatures and hubs 10ºF above ambient temps.
Nice weather in the background.
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Got to Big Lagoon State Park and what is the first thing I see, but SR Cat and the TSBB's own Riley Smith!
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Closely followed by a couple in a Wayfarer.
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Not sure what this boat was, (thought it was a sailing kayak, at first) but it moved out in a hurry.
Wooden hiking platforms on each side.
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Coupla guys in a Sea Pearl.
Mentioned my Son bought one last month, named the Black Pearl; turns out, they knew the previous owner.
Those Sea Pearl owners really stick together.
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Other end of the Sea Pearl.
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Gave them a light push from the dock and it sailed out right smartly even reefed, since the winds were up.
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The couple in the Wayfarer had difficulties with the west side of the dock, since the wind was blowing them right back onto the dock
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I tried to help push the bow out into the wind so they could beam reach off the dock, but it just couldn't get enough forward speed before being blown back onto the dock.
They eventually elected to paddle out into the open, then raise sails.

Meanwhile, Riley, after watching the Wayfarer's issues, wisely decided to tie a reef in his sail
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We had a heck of a time keeping him off the dock in those winds.  We just couldn't push the bow off the dock far enough,  fast enough, before it was blown down the length of the dock and into the shallows.
I decided what we really needed was a stout boat pole. I asked my Grandson for the keys to the truck, so I could open the sailboat and retrieve our boat pole.
"Don't you have them?" He asked. 
(Uh oh.)
"No, I don't." I replied, with growing dread.
Went and checked and sure enough, the keys were locked inside the truck and sitting on top of the food basket, from when the Grandkid helped himself to a snack.
OK, this a Major Problem, but first things, first; gotta get Riley launched.
We tried a few more variations on the theme and during one push, where the boat was being blown back into the shallows, Riley told us to pull hard on the bow painter and just like that, SR Cat found the wind and sailed off into the Sound.
Sailed off with great alacrity, he did!
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Sheepish and contrite, grandson.   
Oh, well.
At least I already had the back open and we won't die of thirst while we wait (And wait! And wait!) for a locksmith to show up.
Because SOMEBODY LOCKED THE KEYS IN THE TRUCK!!   
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Next to us was a Mac 26S owned by Joe Riccioli (at left) from near Amelia Island.
Had a buddy fly in from Arizona and two more buddies (down below, in this pic) fly in from north of Boston and they were loading copious amounts of supplies aboard.
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1/2 way back to the ramp, their rudder snapped in half and they also had engine issues; just your average Florida 120.

The locksmith finally arrived and opened the truck in a trice and we went through the usual setup preparations and then launched the boat.
Well, in the three hours between arriving and launching, because SOMEBODY LOCKED THE KEYS IN THE TRUCK!!     The winds moderated.
Moderated, did I say? Nay, they died almost entirely, so I elected to motor from Big Lagoon to Fort McRee, trying to get there before dark.
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Grandson in the cabin ostensibly journaling, but actually writing:
"I WILL NOT LOCK THE KEYS IN THE TRUCK!"     500 times.

Three masted Junk right in the middle of the Sound.
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See it nearly every single year, never seen it under sail.
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Sunset, under power while trying desperately to get to Fort McRee before dark.
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Needless to say, we got there well after dark, well after the traditional Burger Bash, well after the Skippers Meeting, (vital, because of the weather uncertainties) all because SOMEBODY LOCKED THE KEYS IN THE TRUCK!!   
Went walking in the darkness to say hi to Riley who managed to land SR Cat at the opposite end of the beach from where I beached Urchin.
We chatted a while, and he said he was going back at first light, so I told him not to expect to see me waving him off in the morning, because I fully expected to sleep in!
Wading back in the dark, I managed to find Scott Widmier and ask what they had decided at the Skippers Meeting.
The original Plan B was to hold tight at Fort McRee for a day, then go sailing around in Big Lagoon, have lunch at the Sunset Grille, then pull out just ahead of expected nasty weather.
Since Plan B had been formulated, the Weather Weasels had changed their minds, twice.
So with the usual caveats of: check the weather yourself and make your own decision, the new Plan C was to go to Big Sabine and then watch the weather to decide what to do next.
Sounded fine to me, so I went back to Urchin.

Had I arrived when I EXPECTED to, I would have seen this:
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Photo: Pat Johnson

Every year I manage to get there just a little too late for the traditional Burger Bash; one of these years, I'll get there in time and people will fall over in shock.
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Photo: Jim Kolb
Needless to say I didn't see ANY of that in the dark, because SOMEBODY LOCKED THE KEYS IN THE TRUCK!! 

Back aboard, I busied myself setting up the grill to make the All-American supper: Hot dogs.
A far cry from Rib-eyes, grilled Porta Bella mushrooms and a simple salad, like I cook when my bride is aboard but on my own, I usually just opt for simpler fare.
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Had plenty of snacks and staples.
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Cooking utensils and silverware stored in plastic boxes in the cockpit, in lieu of something resembling an actual galley.
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Next morning, peeked outside and saw boaters already leaving for Big Sabine. 
Riley was already long gone.
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Scott Widmier (in the yellow boat) getting ready to leave for Big Sabine.
I waded over and thanked him for the cool Florida 120 patch he had left in my cockpit.
I intend to sew it onto my WCTSS (West Coast Trailer Sailor Squadron) pull-over and then wear it to a BEER Cruise, and confuse the heck out of EVERYBODY!!   
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Kept squinting, trying not to notice those Mares' tail clouds in the background.

Doesn't look so bad, to the east.
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John Churchill's Transmogrifier blithely unaware of what was to come.
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Sea Pearl Dudes off to a good start, sans motor.  Can't believe how well that boat ghosted along, in zero winds.
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To the left of the pic, my hatch cover screen mosquito net, bought from the TSBB chandlery, lo, these several decades ago and still holding up fine.
To the right, the yellow handle of my beach stake, sticking up out of the sand.
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Motored out of Fort McRee, into this:
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Zero wind.
In any direction.

Originally figured I'd put up the jib instead of the genoa and it might be slow going until the winds came up later in the day, but at least I wouldn't have to switch headsails.
Going up on the foredeck, is getting progressively harder on my Septuagenarian balance, knees and coordination, so I tend to try to minimize headsail changes.

Well, THAT didn't work.
Jib hung there like a limp dishrag.
So I went forward, took it down and put the genoa up instead, opting for a lot of sail slatting and the occasional fill.
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0.3 knots is better than 0.0 knots, but not by much.
Grandson reading a book, because he thinks that's what you do on cruising voyages.
He's not wrong.

Saw three West Wight Potter 14's sailing in a clump, like so many ducks.
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Here they are, on the beach.
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Photo:Ray Altman.

Think this was a Core Sound 20 Mk II way out there, but gamely moving.
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The Blue Angels decided they needed a little practice and I managed to get one decent shot, for every 8 or 10 attempts.
Love watching those guys.
All six of them, in formation.
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What? Could I be gaining on a Core Sound?   
Suddenly, the Universe felt topsy-turvy, for a moment!
I was sailing good!!   
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Not through any assistance from my intrepid crew.
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Passed a nun and finally had visible proof of wake.
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Yup.
Actually got ahead of the Core Sound.
I have to assume they had the tiller lashed and were below taking a nap, or something.
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Next, a Peep Hen (I think) was well ahead of me.
Although I seemed to be gaining on him.
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Until I passed him in this new Alternate Universe, I seemed to be sailing in.
Wow! Urchin keeping up with the Big Boys!
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Man! If it was ME, getting passed up by Urchin, I'd have to KILL myself!! 

This guy from Texas with his home-built power boat, also was in town for the Fl 120 and was on autopilot and smack in the way of the course I needed to hold to reach the Pensacola Bridge.
Took me about 45 minutes to get ahead of him and his 3.9 hp motor, in this strange world I was experiencing today.
Maybe, Urchin is a better light air boat than I thought.   
Yup, Urchin pulling away from a power boat.   
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Charles Brennan

[Wolverine]

Charles, the "Peep Hen" is my friend Chris in his Compac Suncat, and the green boat with tanbark sails is me (wolverine) in my Compac 19/II. As for passing me, floating kelp routinely passes me. 😒

[Riley Smith]

Hehe, I didn't know alacrity meant WHITE KNUCKLES 

[Riley Smith]

Charles commented on all the strings associated with a gaff-rigged catboat. And there are a lot of them, but they're fun to tinker with in my opinion, having spent years and decades working with rope of all flavors. One of my hats says rigger and yes, I've done plenty. Commercially and career wise, that's a tough job and you'd better be ready to sweat. Not only are you responsible for attaching heavy rigging, chains, ropes, and various and sundry heavy shackles, you are also responsible to move that load from one place to another without killing or destroying anything. In that regards, the ¼" line on the rigging of S R Cat is child's play, but even there, not without potential.
I found a spot on one of the halyards at the ramp. A place that didn't feel right. UGH! But close examination let me believe it would make it through this journey and it did. I did notice that the line that holds the gaff jaw onto the mast broke just as I reached the beach and struck the rig. It may have gotten tangled somewhere but is tiny diameter and easy to replace. I use boot lacing for it....that's some really good stuff. I always carry some line....The reefing lines were paracord lashing and go at the front and back, around the boom. I haven't sailed the boat where I had to reef in a while

So it IS definitely time for new halyards. This is only the second set in over twenty years. Everything else worked great, although the lazy jacks are a little too long. I've spent enough time in light air to know I REALLY prefer some wind, but all that experience  paid off with several miles in tiny puffs.

[Charles Brennan]

Wolverine, I was wayyyy off on boat identification!!   
Thanks for the correction.
Ironically, I was looking for you out there, but was looking for a lighter green in my mind's eye and also a more similar shape to a ComPac 16 like a buddy of mine owned for a number of years.
Was yours one of the boats pushed off Big Sabine the morning after the storm?

Thanks,
Charles Brennan

[Wolverine]

Yes, mine was on shore next to the Catalina.